Guard-rail connecter



. May 8, 1928.

" H. R. AKI-:Rs

GUARD RAIL CONNECTER Filed Oct. 20. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In/wanton May 8, 1928.

H. R. AKERS GUARD RAIL CONNECTER Filed oct. 20. 1927 2 sheets-sneer Patented May 8, 1928.

UNITED STATES' PfMEN'rd OFFICE.

HARRISON' R. AKERS, OF TYLER, TEXAS.

GUARD-RAIL CONNECTER.

Y Application filed October 20,1927. Serial No. 227,585.

This invention relates to guard rail connecters and more particularly to the provision of clamps and spacing elements or filler blocks for maintaining the guard rail in properly spaced relation to a track rail.`

An important object of the invention is'to provide a device of this character whichjmay be readily adjusted without dismantling the guard rail and without the necessity of bending either the guard or track rails to permit such adjustment. A further object ot'the invention is to provide a structure such that the adjustment may be rapidly effected and, at the same time, an extremely secure connection between the rails provided.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a device of this character which will be durable in service and a general improvement in the art. v

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is aplan view partially broken away of a guard rail attached by connecters constructed in accordance-with my invention; j Figure 2 isa side elevation thereof partially broken away;

Figure 3 is a section on Figure 1;

Figure 4 Figure 1;

Figure 5 isa section on the line 55 of Figure 3. i

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a track rail and 11 a guard `railhav- Ving its central portions'yparalleling and Vits endy portions oppositely diverging fromv the track rails. As is well known to those the' line 3-3 of ak section on the line 4`4of v,familiar with the art, it isnecessary that these guard rails mustbe held ina predetermined spaced relation to the track rail. vThis I accomplish by providing at the center of the guard rail ai clamping mechanism wherebythe guard and track rails are connected holding said central portions in( properly spaced relation and roviding at the divergent end portions o the guard rail spacer blocks accomplishino' the same function.

The clamping meclanismat the center of the guard rail comprises a U-shaped clamp 12 adapted to extend beneath the bases of the track rail 10 and guard rail 11 and having the arms 13 and 14 thereof relatively heavy and provided upon the inner faces adjacent. their lower ends with recesses 15. The arm 13 has its inner tace 16 at an acute angle to the transverseaxis of the clamp7 while they inner face k17 of the arial- L `is arcuately curved. Coacting with the arm 13 and with the flange of the track rail 10 is a wedge 18 having its inner tace constructed to fit against the rail web between the head and base thereof and its outer `face conistructed for coaction with the inclined face 16 of the arm 13. At the butt or thicker end ofthewedge 18, this outer tace has projectingtheretrom a lug 19 apertured for the passage of a bolt 20fand the head of this bolt has engagement with'` the outer face ot the wedge 18, preventing rotation thereof, as

indicated at 2l. rThe arm 13 has an aperture through which the bolt -may pass and betweenthe nut and the arm, a relatively heavy spring lock washer 22 f isdisposed.y `This lock washer tends both to vprevent rotation of the nut and to provide a longitudinal take-up on the bolt, causing relative shifting ofthe clamp 12 and wedge 18in event any looseness occurs in the connection.

Upon-the outer face ot the wedge at the lower edge thereof, an outstandingange 23v is formed which is adapted to enter the recess 15 and prevent dropping of the clamp inevent'of excessive ilooseness. Associated with the larm Mis a pivot block 24'having Vtace provided with a vertical arcuately curved groove 25 adapted, to fit against the curved face v17 ot' thearm 14..

It willbe obvious that this `face will act as a pivot about which the guardy rail may rock, if in taking up the slack in the-connections one end of theguard rail Ais moved outwardly a greater distance than the opposite end. Between the rails is disposed a filler block vformed in two sections comprising complementary wedgesl 26 and 27, the inclined faces of which confront and `,are provided one with a groove 28 and the other with a tongue 29tofitthis groovel At, the i the wedges and prevent relative shifting of the Wedges in a direction such that the distance between their outer faces would be decreased. These outer faces are constructed to fit against the adjacent-faces of 4the guard rail and track rail.

The filler block mechanisms 'between Jhe ends of the guard rail and track rail each comprises a pair of wedge elements 3l and S2 so xconstructed that when in engagement with one moti-er, their outer faces and 34 Vare vdisposed kat `an angle to one another equal to the angle between lthe :angular end portions yof l'the guard rail and the track rail.Y These outer faces are constructed to it'agaiinstthe flanges 'of `the track and guard rails and ithe inner faces of the wedge lelements are provided onev with a :groove 35 and the'other with a tongue 36 for coaction l with lthis zgroove. One tof these wedges ha-s fier-med therethrough a series of openings 36, Wh-ilethe otheriofthe wedges :has `farmed therethrough 'a single opening 37. A bolt 38 :passing through one=of the openings 256, the opening 37 and openings formed `in the webs ofthe track :and` guard rails maintains the` wedges 3l and 32 Lin r:properly adjusted fpositions and prevents any accidental disp'laceinent thereof. In this connection, it fis fpointed out that the Itongue and groove con- `nection provided upon the wedge elements in leach `connection :prevents vertical disialignment of these sections and assures fproper positioning thereof.

r'In event any =looseness occurs :in the con nection 'between xthe track :and guard rails, this may "be vt-aken up 'by' removing the bolts 88 and 1driving up on 'the Wedge elements 3l until-the next `bolt hole 36 is aligned "Withthefbolt opening 37. The central lfiller 'block is then'similarly taken up :by iremoving the Apin which has been :inserted .in the llcpening 530. and then driving the 'block M27 ylengitudinally until l the next opening ex- 'te'nds beyond the block 26, -so vthat the ipin may vxbe inserted therethrough. .It yis ipoi'nted out that the Vconstructions Veinlployed yin they filler iblocks 4are usueh'that there is no interference with relative l'longif'tudinal movement `of the wedge ielements other lthan ,the friction. Adjustment vmay falscfhe made `in connection with the clamp byti'ghtening'thenut of the bolt 2l. The under surface of the filler block-section .26 Tis preferably provided with depending Alugs -26a"fwhich l 'engage opposite side faces of the clamp 12,fso that this section is heldaagainst longitudinal displacement 'with lrelation Ito therail 10. Any other suitable means for *preventing -'this displacement may be emiplo'yed.

Since 1 the Aconstruetion hereinbefore -set 4Vforth i-'scapableiof'fa certain range of change #andi modification 'without materially departing from the spirit of the invention, I do not .limit myself to such yspecific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim l. In combination, a track rail and a guard rail, :a fclanrp connecting the track and guard rails at the center thereof and having engagement With the outer face of .the guard rail ,permitting oscillation of the ends of the guard rail toward and away from the track frail, spreader .bloc-ks between the rails at :the centers thereof and spreader blocks :between the rails at the ends thereof.

2. ln combination, a .track .fail land a guard rail, a clamp iconfnecting 'the track and guard vrails at Athe center `thereof and having'engagement with the :outer ,face 4of the -guard rail ,permitting .oscillation of vthe endsfofthegguard rail toward and away vfrom the track rail, --spreader -blocks 4between .the rails at the centers thereof, spreader .blacks Abetween ithe lrails :at the ends thereof, each of said spreader blocksbeing Vformed .in two sections lhaving wedging `engagement with `one another and yhaving `smooth con fronting faces and .means for securing .the sections -in adjusted position with relation lto one another.

3. :In combination, la track rail ,and .a guard rail, a clamp connectingthe .track and guard rails at theieenter thereofand lhaving I engagement with theouter face of :the ,guard rail permitting oscillation .of the ends of the :guard irail toward Aand away .from .the track rail, spreader Lblocks .between the rails .at the centers thereof, .spreader Vvblocks between the vrails at the ends thereof vand .adjustable-means upon said tclamp r.for tregulating the distance between the track .and .guardrails 4t. In combination with track and 'guard rails, .a clamp engaging the rails Kat .the :center of the guard rail, said clamp beingsub- :stantially `tJ-shaped rand opposing ,the outer face of each rail, a pivot block abutting the outer .face of the guard .rail and wvith .which the arm of the clamp pivotally engages, :a wedge abutting the -outer r`face .of vthe vtrack .rail Y and engaged wvith .the .opposed arm of ,the clampandiiller blocks between'therails at 'the center and lends thereof, said filler blocks reach 'being formed in. adj ustably .engagingl sections to regulate Vthe `distance ibetween lthe lrails. l

5. In combination `with ,tracknnd guard Irails, a clampx engagingthey rails. at. the center of the.' guard rail,said.cla1np being substantially tjr-shaped and opposing the louter 'face ofA each rail, a 1 pivotl blockaabuttingthei outer 4face of the guard `railland .with which .the armofthe .clamp gpivotally'v engages, a Wedge l-abuttingtheiouter faceofthe track railand engaged vwith the.l .opposed arm of the clamp and filler 'blocks 'between lthe .rails .at the center and -Vends thereof, said .filler .blocks each being formed in adjustably engaging sections to regulate the distance between the rails7 said sections having smoothL confronting faces. i Y

6. In combination with track and guard rails, a clamp engaging the rails at the center of the guard rail, said clamp being substantially U-shaped and `opposing the outer face of each rail, `a pivot block abutting the outer face of the guard rail and with which the arm of the clamp pivotally engages, a wedge abutting the outer face of the track rail and engaged with the opposed arm or the clamp, filler blocks between the rails at the center and ends thereof, said filler blocks each being formed in adjustably engaging sections to regulate the distance between the rails, a lug upon the butt end of the wedge, a bolt passing through said lug and the asso" ciatedarm of the clamp and means arranged between the arm of the clamp and thevnut of the bolt urging the bolt longitudinally and retaining the nut against rotation there- 7. In combination with track `and guard rails, a clamp engaging the rails at the center of the guard rail, said clamp being substantially U-shaped and opposing the outer iace of eachrail, a pivot block abutting the outer face of the guard rail and with which the arm of the clamp pivotally engages, a wedge abutting the outer face of the track rail and engaged with the opposed arm of Y the clamp and filler blocks between the rails at the center and ends thereof, said filler- 8. In combination with track and guard rails, a clamp engaging the rails at the center of the guard rail, said clamp being substantiallyV U-shaped and opposing the outer face oit' each rail, a pivoty block abutting the outer face of the guard rail and with which the arm of the clamp pivotally engages, a wedge abutting the outer face of the track rail and engaged with the opposed arm of the clamp, iller blocks between the rails at the center and ends thereof, said filler blocks eachbeing formed in adjust-ably engaging sections to regulate the distance between the rails, and lugs upon one of said blocks holding said block against movement with relation to the clamp in a direction transverse to the clamp.

In testimony signature.

HARRISON R. KERS.

whereof I hereunto aix my 

